Philippine Fashion Week 2009
Fashion model and make-up artist Lou Bunyi asked me in the make-up room how it felt to be modeling on the runway again after all these years. I told her that I felt so thrilled and so excited!!!
I also felt SO retro, like an Air Supply song on the radio. So MANY things were different…
Like for instance the WALKING STYLE. In our day we tried to walk as smoothly as possible – like ghosts gliding on the floor. And the choreography was so detailed that we often had 2 to 3 days’ worth of rehearsals. I EVEN kept notes so as not to forget all the steps. But the more ‘mathematically’ minded models like Desiree Verdadero and Ping Federis could go through the sequences once and perfectly recall every cue, turn and pose. Minus the pen and paper!
Today’s models bounce and flounce and totally ignore the beat of the song. Choreography is kept to a minimum and rehearsals are done in a snappy 2 or 3 hours. The girls don’t do as many turns as we did and the ‘mathematically’ challenged will have NO trouble with directions like: go forward. Pose. Go back. Exit.
I could easily get into THAT! Now if I could only get into those skinny pants they wear…
There were so many other differences I noticed – the models today don’t use pantyhose and they actually have make-up artists and hair dressers at their beck and call. We ‘senior’ models on the other hand did not have such benefits; pantyhose and self-beautification were realities we had to deal with day in and day out.
Here’s another funny one – models in the 70s and 80s (at least here in the Philippines) faithfully carried a pair of GOLD HEELS in their rehearsal bags; there seemed to be some tacit rule among everybody that GOLD HEELS looked good with ANY outfit… LOLOL! Now if the show was EXTRA SPECIAL, we’d be required to bring SILVER HEELS and maybe even BLACK ones.
Designers today are far more finicky – many of them supply the shoes (and accessories) that go with the outfit so the model doesn’t have to worry about all that. Shoe lovers in the audience will NOT be left wanting.
But of course the most exciting change is the arrival of the PLUS SIZE MODEL. In my time, you had to be a size 8 PERIOD if you wanted to be a mannequin. I was a 10 and was VERY lucky to be invited to do catwalk shows. I eventually developed some awesome Houdini moves and could squeeze into tiny outfits in the blink of an eye. Then there was my Anorexia/Bulimia season when I dropped down to 108 lbs and could wear any piece of cloth they threw at me. But of course THAT is another story.
So, with the arrival of the PLUS SIZE MODEL, things look hopeful for girls like me who love the catwalk but are NOT skinny.
At Fashion Week, ESAC launched it’s PLUS LINE and I was invited by Cesar Obrero to join the team of models to debut the clothes. After he saw some fashionista photos of my daughter Diandra Zach, he invited her as well!!! And together with 8 other models – Ping Federis, Desiree Verdadero, Lorna Legaspi, Duday Mandanas, Dana Narvadez, Gigi Bautista, Michelle B and her daughter – we presented ESAC+ last night at the SMX, Mall of Asia.
Ahhh… I can’t tell you how good it feels to be able to have your cake and eat it the night before the show. It is HEAVEN!
by Joyce Burton Titular, the blogging beauty queen…
Here are some photos from the ESAC+ debut runway presentation:
Joyce Ann Burton (me) in a stripey affair
Ping Federis glides down the runway
Leggy Diandra Zach in a cotton purple number
Diandra Zach makes a pose
Joyce Ann Burton (c'est moi!) in a fringe-y dress
Desiree Verdadero whips up a storm on the runway
ESAC PLUS Size Models and company!
